St. Landry democrat., 1887-07-16
A PATERNAL GOVERNMENT.
How it Works in Germany-Individuali
of Character Crushed Out.

!
of Character Crushed Out.
| The paternal type ofgovernment exists to
| perfection in Germany. An English resi-
dent Of Munich, describing life there, says
that the word "Polizei' meets the visitor at
every turn. Whatever he may wish to know,
| if it is only the address of a friend, he must
apply to the police; whatever he may wish
to do and cannot, he is told is "Polizeilich
verboten" forbidden by the police. The
ordinary law-abiding Englishman when at
home unless he happens to have his pocket
picked or his dog stolen, has no reason for
coming in contact with the police from one
year to another, and probably lives IN sublime
ignorance OF the Wherea bouts Of the nearest
police-station. Not SO in Germany. Within
three days of his arrival he is expected to call
at the police offices and fill up form, stating
his name, age, profession, and religion
whether he is married single, or divorced, the
object of his visit, and how long he means to
remain. Nor is it only foreigners who are
treated in this inquisitOrial manner. Every
person who changes his residence must gi We
immediate notice thereof to the authorities; ;
every servant-girl who goes to new sltua-
ton must notify the fact to the police and
allow her -bOOk-alsO compulsory
institution-tO be supervised. Every dog
must be taken to the police-station, medi
cally examined, its address entered, and be
provided with metal label to be worn on
the collar. 1t is "Polizeilich verboten'' to
have music in your house after ten o'clock
without the consent of all the other tenants
to take a lighted candle into your own loft
to put tiowerpots on your window sill to
sell strong beer after midday. Every chin
ney must be swept by order of the govern
ment once month the sweep usu-
ally arriving for the operation in
the. middle Of the afternoon), and
periodic visits are paid by officials into every
room to see that the careless householder
does not stand his own furniture too close to
the stove, thereby running the risk OF
possible fire. The whole drainage system,
wretched and unsanitary as it is, is under
hle supervision of the police. Needless to
say that the hours for opening and closing
shops and restaurants are all fixed by law,
and, by peculiar stroke of fone-sided tyranny,
the tram cars are not allowed to run after
9 P. NJ, as they would otherwise interfere
with the cab monopoly. The infraction of
any of these rules is punished by strictly
enforced fines, nor must it be imagined that
the officials facilitate contormance. to the
law. Everything is left to the initiative of
the citizen, and the regulations as to days,
hours, and place of registration, &c, are so
numerous and SO constantly changed that
the inexperienced foreigner may frequently
make several weary Journeys before red
tapeism declares itself satisfied.
The effect of the system upon German
character is thus described There is in the
mass of the German people an utter want of
public spirit, lazy Indifference to the course
of events, resigned belief in the uSelessness
of protests, which is the inevitable outcome
of a system of military dragooning and
police supervision. At the recent elections,
important as they were for the whole future
policy of Germany, and although a larger
proportion of voters recorded their votes
than on any previous occasion, it was impos
sible not to be struck by the absence of
popular enthusiasm. No crowds, no shout
ing. no professions, nothing to be seen at the
polling booths but struggling stream of
stolid citizens, silently recording their
votes. The more a state does for its citi
zens, the less they do for them
selves. 1t is the business Of the gov
ernment, not ours, is a remark frequently
heard in Germany. There seems no rdison
d etre in individual enterprise when fatherly
government insists on taking all the trouble
and responsibility on its own shoulders and
the German citizen, having been kept in lead
ing strings all his life, naturally feels incapa
BILE Of walking alone. He may at times
grumbe over his beer and inwardly con-
sign the chancellor to the Teufel, but to pro-
test. to agitate, to side openly with his poorer
brother, the Socalist-a quoi bon Z asks your
comfortable burgher. II is no joke in Ger
many to come under the displeasllre of the
authorities. Was not wretched creature
imprisoned for over one year for having
stated in public that the late King Ludwig
of Bavaria was mad, at time when it was
desired to keep his malady a secret? and
have not casual remarks on the royal family,
if overheard by gendarme, brought the
speakers time after time into serious trouble?
So the Germans preserve iudicious silence